Mustangs take fourth straight in Crockett

In a game littered with penalties and stoppages, the Mustangs were the only constant in a 59-21 victory that showcased their best of all three phases.

“With every win comes a little more confidence,” said head Madisonville football coach Rusty Nail after his team improved to 4-0. “They changed everything up this week and it was a physical contest. They had seven guys in the box and we were able to run it down their throats.”

Crockett had absolutely no answers for the Mustang ground game all night. Ball carriers Aaron Nellums, Kendell Moffett, Cornelius Merchant and Uriel Willis all found the end zone for Madisonville at least once in the rout. Nellums was able to provide Madisonville with their first and last touchdowns of the game.

“We got a bad couple of backs,” said Nellums when asked about his fellow ball carriers after his two-touchdown performance. “We got some of the best back in the district and we all just need to keep playing together.”

The Mustangs were able to build a 24-0 lead before halftime thanks in large part to their dominance in the battle of field position. Throughout the first 24 minutes, they started just about every drive around midfield while the Bulldogs were stuck at their own 20-yard line.

“We talk about (field position) all of the time,” said Nail. “It’s important to turn the field and not give them extra possessions with turnovers. It’s always a big part of our game plan.”

Much of that credit goes to junior kicker Mauricio Aceves. He made it difficult for the Bulldogs to produce quality returns while also connecting on all but one of his kicks on the night.

Defensively, Madisonville fed off the great field position and limited Crockett to just one big play. They kept a streak of forcing multiple turnovers in four straight games and allowed the team to build an early lead and never look back.

Madisonville will try for their fifth straight win to start the season next week at Mustang Stadium as they celebrate homecoming. They will welcome Lorena to town, who took down Lampasas 49-26 in their homecoming matchup tonight.

The Mustangs and the Leopards will kickoff at 7:30 on Friday night. Check the Madisonville Meteor Facebook page throughout the weekend for photos from tonight’s game in Crockett.